Conventional mechanisms for information distribution on the Internet include the RSS, which represents the RDF (Resource Description Framework) Site Summary, the Rich Site Summary, and the Really Simple Syndication). In conventional information processing apparatuses, in order to obtain RSS data (RSS feed) from a distribution origin (for example, an information distribution server, such as a WWW (World Wide Web) server) of an RSS, an RSS reader executes obtainment and update processing of the RSS data on the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of that RSS upon startup or at a periodic timing set by the user.
Note that, in recent years, in addition to RSSs being used for distribution of update information in a web log, the latest news on news distribution sites, or program information of radio or TV programs, or press release or new product information and support information from various corporations are distributed on the Internet as headline information using RSSs.
Since RSSs are often periodically update and distributed, automatically obtaining RSSs at update timing are desired.
Note that, conventionally, in order for an information processing apparatus to efficiently upgrade device drivers for peripheral devices, such as all-in-one printers, a technique is used in which an interval (update scheduled time) for checking version information of the device driver next time is received from a management server when the peripheral device inquires the management server of device drivers via a network (see the following Patent Reference 1, for example).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-125773
Broadband, flat-rate Internet services for personal computers or the like (for example, broadband services in the present Japan) employ wired networks, and charges for the band (network) to the user do not present an issue even when RSS data is updated (obtained) by polling periodically at a short interval (for example, every five minutes) for obtaining the RSS data that are just updated.
However, wireless networks used by mobile telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), for example, have a variety of restrictions compared to wired networks.
For example, the user may be charged with a higher communication fee if communications are carried out (employed) more frequently, and wireless networks are more susceptible to troubles (such as communication failures) due to network overload.
More specifically, since communication fees may be charged for every inquiry from a mobile terminal in a pull-type communication, the user may be charged with an expensive communication when polling periodically at a short interval for obtaining the RSS data that is just updated.
Furthermore, since wireless networks are more susceptible to troubles due to overload than wired networks, communications may be failed if a lot of mobile terminals periodically poll to the same URL or the same WWW server at short intervals.
In addition, since the capacity of batteries of mobile terminals is limited, a significant battery capacity may be consumed by periodical polling at a shorter interval. For example, since mobile telephones can carry out communications for two to three times using a single battery, the battery only lasts 15 hours if obtainment processing of RSS data is carried out every five minutes, by a mailer in a personal computer, for example.
For the above reasons, for obtaining RSS data, it is desirable to efficiently obtain updated RSS data with minimum inquiries, particularly in the case of mobile terminals.
Note that the technique described in the above Patent Reference 1 must provide a function in which a distribution origin of information notifies of the next scheduled update time, and is not a technique for facilitating efficient obtainment of information by a user terminal that is a distribution destination of information.